The South western news., 1887-11-30

take place at his home,
The Marriage day was but four
months off when a great change
was observed in Miss Rosa. She
VINO was the bright and vivacious
village belle became dull and des>
p"ndent' and without any appar-
emf reason. Her lover was as
filthful and true as ever, and her
friends we're kind and loving as of
cid, but Miss Rosa Stunned the
society which she had previously
courted, and went about her
household duties as though bur-
dened with soIne great trouble.
Her strange conduct was noticed
by a visitor at the Baxter home
stead, a surgeon, DR.. A A Frees
man, now a lawyer as well as a
physician, and chairman of the
Erie county Republican Committe.
He lives at 8 East Seventh street.
Erie, Pa. Miss Fear
WAS MUCH PERTURBED
over DR. Freeman's notice of her,
and one morning she was missing.
Search was made, but Rosa could
not be found anywhere. All her
clothes were left behind, but a suit
of clothes that had been in DIR,
Freeman's trunk had been remov>
ed. The apparel lett behind by
the young woman showed that
she had not taken so much as an
apron of her wardrobe, and after
waiting some weeks in the hone
that the mystery would be cleared
up, the conviction forced itself
upon the minds of all that Rosa
had elOped with some unknown
swain, and had concealed her iden.
tity in mans attire. People of
the village were loath to cast re-
prOach upon the name of such an
amiable girl, but the stern evidence
of her disgraceful flight and the
larceny of the doctors suit could
not be gain said, and before time
came around when pretty Rosa
Fear was to have been married to
Lucius Covell her Aaffe and her
shame were held up as warnings to
other village maidens inclined to
flirt.
A year passed. away, and still
nothing was heard of Rosa Fear.
Her parents were almost broken
hearted over her disappe trance,
and the young man who was to
have married her abandoned his
purpose to set up business for him
self as a pump maker, got religion,
and tried to drown his grief in the
study of theology. He succeeded
so well that he was ordained, mar
ried another girl, and is now the
father of four boys.
One day. -four years after the dis
appearance of Rosa, tastfullY at
tired young man alighted from a
Lake Shore train at the Ripley de-
pot and proceeded briskly to the
old Fear farm. Knocking at the
door, the young man was asked his
business by a young sister Of Rosa.
The stranger smiled and inquired
if news OF Rosa Fear would be ac-
ceptab1e. The sister almost pulled
the young man into the house and
warned him in advance chat if any
harm had befallen poor Rosa
through his Vaccinations he had
better beware of her fathers venge-
ance. The young man threw her
a kiss for answer, and then. selling
her by the waist, proceeded to hug
her with great familiarity. OF
course the maiden told him to un-
hand her, and of course he did
nothing of the kind, for the yoang
fellow was
ROSA HERSELF OR HIMSELF.
When identity had been pro"
laimed explanations were in or
der, and Rosa, or Charles Fear as
she was henceforth to be known,
told remarkable story OF physical
change which would better adorn
the columns of a cientifc Journal
than the columns of a newspaper
like the Globe. 1t was a story,
however, which was perfectly sato
isfactory to medical science, and
,oung Fear, who had been four
years in the Michigan lumber re-
cion, settled down to wotk on the
farm.
For a time he was an object of
curiosity among those who had
known him as a damsel, but the
novelty wore off and Fear entered